TheCrew07

Sounds Top 'Topes In Opener, 8-3 Clark Goes Deep Again; Jungmann Delivers Quality Start in Win Nashville Sounds http://www.milb.com/assets/images/1/1/6/86319116/cuts/MPS_7186_Large_gdn3s0un_5da3ku33.jpg (MIKE STRASINGER ) ALBUQUERQUE - The Nashville Sounds (69-58) rattled off 17 hits in Saturday night's series opener at Isotopes Park to defeat the Albuquerque Isotopes, 8-3. The win, paired with Memphis' win over El Paso, keeps Nashville tied with the Redbirds for first place in the division with 17 games to go. Nashville jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first inning on five consecutive singles off of Isotopes starting pitcher Zach Lee (7-11). First baseman Matt Clark's bases-loaded single through the hole at second plated the Sounds' first two runs, while Sean Halton follow with an RBI single of his own. Clark later scored on a groundout by Hector Gomez, 3-for-5. Sounds starter Taylor Jungmann (7-5) limited the 'Topes to two runs, one earned, which both came across in the bottom of the second inning. Albuquerque's Brock Peterson lifted Jungmann's 3-1 pitch over the left-center field wall to lead off the inning. Then Walter Ibarra knocked in Mike Baxter with a single following Matt Pagnozzi's two-out throwing error. Jungmann picked up his seventh win and quality start of the season, holding Albuquerque to just three hits in six innings of work. He fired seven strikeouts and issued four walks before reliever Brent Leach began the seventh. The Sounds added to their lead as Jason Rogers, 3-for-5, worked around the bases in the third inning: hitting a single, moving to second on a Lee wild pitch, and taking third on a groundout before scoring on Halton's single. Clark blasted his 10th home run of the year in the fifth inning to give Nashville a 6-2 advantage. The California-native has five home runs over his last five games and extended his hit streak to six games, matching his best as a Sound. Outfielder Logan Schafer also saw his season-best hit streak move to 13 games, which marks the longest by a Sound this season. Rounding out the Sounds scoring was catcher Matt Pagnozzi, who drove a two-run double to left-center field in the ninth inning to give Nashville a 8-3 lead. Leach allowed a hit in the home half of the eighth inning to put a runner on base for Dustin Molleken, who allowed the inherited runner to come around on Tim Federowicz's RBI single. Closer Rob Wooten also saw work from the 'pen, firing a spotless ninth inning. The Sounds will play game two against Albuquerque Sunday afternoon at 2:35 p.m. Nashville sends RHP Jay Jackson (0-1, 7.71) to the hill opposite the Albuquerque's RHP Jeff Bennett (6-6, 3.96). Nashville Boxscore Nashville Recap Nashville Gameday

I'll happily trade Taylor Jungmann for Oscar Taveras if the Cards are growing impatient with him.

TRats postponed tonight which stinks because I have plans tomorrow and won't be able to chart Wang's pitches.

Chiefs' Reyes fans 11 in six shutout frames Cardinals' No. 4 prospect matches career high, holds Bees to two hits

Cubs' Burks reaches base 11 straight times Outfielder sees streak end before delivering walk-off single for Hawks

Garrett's gem a slam dunk for Dragons Reds' No. 18 prospect fans career-high 12, tosses three-hit shutout

SAL notes: Jones' skills shining through Power shortstop starting to meet high expectations in second half

Smokies' Edwards back in early-season form Cubs' No. 7 prospect delivers six innings for first time since April 20

Lively dominates before Pensacola wins late Cincinnati's No. 6 prospect allows three hits over six scoreless innings

Scruggs homers twice, plates six in rout Cards outfielder leads Redbirds, while Pederson goes yard for 'Topes

Bryant gifts send Iowa fans home happy Cubs' top prospect hits walk-off homer on his jersey giveaway night

Baseball America Prospect Hot Sheet Chat (Aug. 15) With J.J. Cooper

Sounds Slip In Series Finale, 7-3 Nashville Sounds http://www.milb.com/assets/images/0/5/4/76302054/cuts/MattPagnozzi_z8x9usa1_a8t9z4fm.jpg (Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds) EL PASO, Texas - The Nashville Sounds (68-58) came up short of a series win Friday night at Southwest University Park, losing 7-3 in the series finale against the El Paso Chihuahuas, whose five-run seventh inning was too much for Nashville to overcome. Leading 3-2 at the stretch, the Sounds ran into trouble in the home half of the seventh inning, when the Chihuahuas sent nine batters to the plate for five runs on seven hits. Sounds reliever Arcenio Leon (1-3) allowed two singles to put runners on the corners for right-handed pitcher Jose De La Torre. El Paso's Jonathan Galvez made the Sounds pay with a two-run double off De La Torre that gave proved to be the game winner. The Chihuahuas kept the attack alive in the seventh by scoring on a Jeff Francoeur sacrifice fly, Cody Decker double, and Adam Moore single. Leon was charged the loss, his third, after allowing three runs in 1 1/3 innings of work. De La Torre also allowed three in 1 2/3 innings for Nashville. Nashville took an initial two-run lead in the fourth inning with three extra-base knocks. Irving Falu led off the frame with a triple to the right-field corner and was driven home by Jeremy Hermida's sacrifice fly. Then with two outs in the inning, outfielder Eugenio Velez hit a double off El Paso third baseman Decker's glove to score Jason Rogers, who tripled, to give the Sounds their second run. El Paso battled back with a Francoeur RBI double in the fourth inning and Decker's solo home run in the sixth. Catcher Matt Pagnozzi hit a two-out go-ahead single to right field, which scored first baseman Matt Clark, but the Sounds' second lead did not hold for long. Sounds starter Ariel Pena went five innings, limiting the Chihuahuas to one run on two hits and four walks. The right-handed pitcher fired five strikeouts and left in line for the win with a 2-1 lead, but finished with a no-decision. The Sounds head to Albuquerque on Saturday to begin a four-game set against the Isotopes (AAA-Dodgers). Nashville sends RHP Taylor Jungmann (6-5, 4.70) to the hill opposite the Albuquerque's RHP Zach Lee (7-5, 5.15). First pitch at Isotopes Park is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. Nashville Boxscore Nashville Recap Nashville Gameday

Kane County clubs three homers to beat Wisconsin 7-2 Rattlers drop game, but don't lose ground in Wild Card race By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers http://www.milb.com/assets/images/4/9/0/89879490/cuts/August_15_McFarland_pulcjhpo_5fm9se1j.jpg Chris McFarland prepares to throw to first in the first inning of Friday's game against the Kane County Cougars. (Ann Mollica/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers) GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Kane County Cougars had three homers and picked up solid pitching from a pair of hurlers to defeat the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 7-2 on Friday night. Jacob Rogers, Cael Brockmeyer, and Trey Martin all homered to send the Rattlers to their second straight loss. Kane County (78-45 overall, 33-20 second half) used the longball to go in front in the second inning. Rogers started the inning with a home run to left. Brockmeyer hit a solo home run with one out in the second and the Cougars were up 2-0. Rogers struck again in the third inning when he singled with two outs to drive in a run for a 3-0 lead. In the fourth, Martin stepped to the plate with two outs and no one on base for the Cougars. He sent a sinking line drive to center. Johnny Davis tried to make a diving catch, but the ball skipped past Davis and rolled all the way to the wall, Martin streaked around the bases for an inside-the-park home run to give Kane County a 4-0 lead. Rattlers starting pitcher Barrett Astin walked Shawon Dunston, Jr., the batter immediately after Martin. Dunston stole second and would score on a two-out single by Danny Lockhart to make it 5-0. Wisconsin (65-57, 29-24) got on the scoreboard against Kane County starter Jonathan Martinez in the bottom of the fourth. Clint Coulter's high popup in front of the plate with two outs dropped in for a single. Taylor Brennan followed with a double to right-center to knock in Coulter. In the fifth, Steve Halcomb drove in a Omar Garcia with a single to make the score 5-2. Chris McFarland would single with two outs to bring the tying run to the plate later in the fifth, but Martinez got a strikeout to end the Wisconsin rally. Martinez scattered six hits over five innings, walked none, and struck out two before turning the game over to Tyler Ihrig. The Cougars added two more two-out runs in the game. They had a runner at second with two outs in the sixth against Wisconsin reliever Tristan Archer. But, back-to-back walks loaded the bases. Victor Caratini drew a third straight walk to force in a run. In the eighth, Martin reached on a wild pitch after strike three to start the inning. He stole second and went to third on a flyout to center. Mark Zaguins blooped in a two-out single to right to score Martin and the Cougars were up 7-2. Martin went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases and three runs scored for the Cougars. Ihrig pitched four scoreless innings and allowed one hit, a two-out double to Halcomb in the seventh inning. He earned the save, his first, in the game. Martinez earned his ninth win of the season. The Timber Rattlers dropped back to three games behind the Cedar Rapids Kernels for the second half Western Division lead with their loss. The Kernels beat the Peoria Chiefs 11-0 at home on Friday night and that allowed Wisconsin to stay two games in front of the Chiefs for the second half Western Division Wild Card. The Rattlers also remained four games clear of the Quad Cities River Bandits in the Wild Card race since the Bandits lost 6-5 to Burlington on Friday night. There are seventeen games remaining in the regular season. Game two of the series is Saturday night. Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Wei-Chung Wang (0-1, 6.00) gets the start for the Timber Rattlers against Daury Torrez (10-5, 2.94) for Kane County. Game time is 6:35pm. Saturday may just be the middle of summer, but just…well, "Let it go!" Elsa and Anna will be on hand to meet fans and there will be a special sing-along during the game. Play Potawatomi Bingo Casino Baseball Bingo during the game and stick around for a cool postgame fireworks display presented by FOX 11! If you can't make it out to the ballpark, catch the action on AM1280, WNAM or IHeartRadio starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:15pm. Saturday's game is also available to MiLB.TV subscribers. HOME RUNS: KC: Jacob Rogers (15th, 0 on in 2nd inning off Barrett Astin, 0 out) Cael Brockmeyer (6th, 0 on in 2nd inning off Barrett Astin, 1 out) Trey Martin (3rd, 0 on in 3rd inning off Barrett Astin, 2 out [inside-the-park]) WP: Jonathan Martinez (9-5) LP: Barrett Astin (7-7) SAVE: Tyler Ihrig (1) TIME: 2:38 ATTN: 5,593 Wisconsin Boxscore Tristan Archer only gave up 2 hits in his 5 innings but the 4 walks he issued cost him. I had a personal issue pop up so I didn't see the inside-the-park homerun but Barrett Astin wasn't sharp through the first 2 innings when I was watching. Steven Halcomb (2-3,2B,BB) had the only noteworthy day at the plate. Wisconsin Recap Wisconsin Gameday

I think he's fine bullpen option and spot starter down the road. He's almost entirely reliant on his command so when he's on he's very good and when he's not his FB gets hit around. It was a sensational outing yesterday, historic even, but that doesn't change who/what Fiers is. He's a 29 year old pitcher with solid average stuff, his best feature has always been his plus, maybe plus plus command. Every Brewer pitcher has absolutely torched the Cubs AAA team in Iowa strike out wise, I've commented on it numerous times in the Link Reports on the minor league forum over the course of the year. The Cubs will have a potent offense but they'll also be strike out prone like our recent Brewer teams. The recently promoted Baez and Alcantara accounted for 5 of those strike outs, that's just who the Cubs are going to be as a team moving forward. The Iowa Cubs are far and away the PCL leader in SOs with 1128, our Nashville team is 4th from the bottom with 908, Baez himself had 130 strike outs before his promotion. Rizzo and Castro have always struck out a fair amount, add Baez and Alcantara with high strike out rates, and then Bryant/Soler for 2015/2016 who will also be 100+ for a full MLB season when they arrive. That Cubs' offense will be exciting yet probably frustrating for the fans in the same way we are upset with Ks in run producing situations with the Brewers. I'm not trying to diminish what Fiers did, but I do think it was kind of a perfect storm... a strike out prone line-up facing a control pitcher who was at his absolute best.

1. Tyrone Taylor 2. Clint Coulter 3. Orlando Arcia 4. Devin Williams 5. Tyler Wagner 6. Kodi Medeiros 7. Taylor Williams 8. Victor Roache 9. Monte Harrison 10. David Goforth 11. Michael Reed 12. Taylor Jungmann 13. Jason Rogers 14. David Denson 15. Jacob Gatewood 16. Jorge Lopez 17. Chris McFarland 18. Wei-Chung Wang 19. Brandon Diaz 20. Tyler Cravy 21. Johnny Davis 22. Gilbert Lara 23. Tucker Neuhaus 24. Joantgel Segovia 25. Jed Bradley Players just missing the cut... D'Vo, Jose Pena, Nicholas Pierre, Franly Mallen, Sean Zarraga, Dustin DeMuth, Yadiel Rivera, and Hunter Morris Comments: 1. Tyrone Taylor - Not jumping off his bandwagon any time soon 2. Clint Coulter - Needs defensive flexibility, hopefully next year he doesn't DH more than half of the games 3. Orlando Arcia - His bat is starting to ascend, I'm extremely excited about him 4. Devin Williams - Up and down in Helena, this is a rating based on potential 5. Tyler Wagner - A favorite of mine from last year's TRat team just keeps getting better. He doesn't have knockout stuff but everything he has is average or better. I'm extremely interested to see how he holds up in AA. 6. Kodi Medeiros - Not great out of the gate, very good his last time out, I'm still concerned about his low arm slot but his off speed stuff is nasty. 7. Taylor Williams - Similar to 2 pitch mix to Peralta at the same level (FB/Slider) though Taylor has found much better command since the all-star break. He's pretty exciting. 8. Victor Roache - Hasn't gotten his bat going, one of the few potential power hitters in the system, unless he turns it around he'll keep sliding on my list. 9. Monte Harrison - I loved this draft pick, in the mock I had him going to Pittsburgh in the first, but I'm into raw toolsy players. 10. David Goforth - Stagnated like many players do when repeating a level after having success the first time, normally more of a AAA thing, hopefully he gets a shot at AAA to start next season. 11. Michael Reed - He's found more power this year than he flashed in the past, if that continues to improve I like him for a corner OF spot or 4th OF. 12. Taylor Jungmann - Steady yet unspectacular as always, should be in the mix to be quality rotation depth for 2015 13. David Denson - Unfortunately his season was derailed right when he heated up, I'm very high on his all around game, still very raw but to be in full season ball at his age with his limited baseball experience is fantastic. 14. Jacob Gatewood - He might ultimately end up being the IF version of Victor Roache but he's been much better of late. Hopefully he makes significant gains through instructs and spring training next season. 15. Jorge Lopez - Hit a skid after his Future's Game appearance, I'm still not sure what to make of him, he's always had potential. 16. Chris McFarland - No one has impressed me more this season with the complete turn around in their game. Unfortunately he hasn't gone yard since 5-10-2014 but he has decent pull power. His defense is still shaky especially on his back hand so he's still got to work to do, but what a job he's done his 2nd time through WI. 17. Wei-Chung Wang - Outside of Medeiros Wang is the pitcher I'm most intrigued by, I'll watch him pitch in person on Saturday. 18. Brandon Diaz - Just 5 for his last 30 but I find to be interesting given he's outperforming the higher drafted HS picks from 2013. 19. Tyler Cravy - I've been a Cravy guy going all the way back to Helena, I sure wish he'd get healthy and start pitching again, he's been out of action since 6-22-2014. 20. Johnny Davis - He's made tremendous strides at the plate over the course of the season. He was a slap hitting bunter at the start and now he's smoking line drives on occasion. Statistically he's been much better as a RH batter but I think that's more of a sample size thing at this point. 21. Gilbert Lara - Interested to see where and how he starts as the highest international bonus baby in Brewer history. 22. Tucker Neuhaus - Made the list solely on potential as his career has been uninspiring to this point. 23. Joantgel Segovia - Extremely intrigued, he just keeps on hitting in the DSL. 24. Jed Bradley - I'll just say that I'm cautiously optimistic about him at this time 25. Hobbs Johnson - Appears to be more of a command/control guy than a stuff guy but is getting results. edit. Added Jason Rogers at 13.

Prospect Hot Sheet (Aug. 15): Good As Gold For Garrett

Sounds Clip Chihuahuas, 4-2 Nashville's Clark and Velez Go Yard; Blazek Deals Quality Start Nashville Sounds http://www.milb.com/assets/images/7/1/0/89712710/cuts/MPS_2841_Large_xs9at3tp_sv3zqc6w.jpg EL PASO, Texas - The Nashville Sounds (68-57) edged the El Paso Chihuahuas Thursday night at Southwest University Park to win by a final 4-2 margin. Nashville got on the board first courtesy of a Matt Clark, 3-for-4, solo home run in the second inning. The first baseman has lifted four homers over the last three games. Clark's streak of three consecutive games with a dinger is the longest by a Sound this season. He has left the yard nine times since joining the Sounds on July 4. After singling to reach base in the sixth, Clark added to the Sounds' cause by scoring on Pete Orr's triple to the corner in right field. Orr finished the night 2-for-4. Outfielder Eugenio Velez, 3-for-4, blasted his seventh home run of the season in the seventh inning to give Nashville a 4-0 lead over the Chihuahuas. The one-out roundtripper over the right field wall scored Logan Schafer, who doubled to reach scoring position and extend his hit streak to 12 games, the longest by a Sound this season. After six scoreless innings, Sounds starting pitcher Michael Blazek (3-4) ran into trouble. El Paso newcomer Jeff Francoeur singled to lead off the seventh and was followed by Yeison Asencio, who touched the right-hander for a two-run homer to end his night. But that's all the bite the Chihuahuas could muster as relievers Brent Leach, Alfredo Figaro and Rob Wooten each turned in a scoreless inning. Blazek picked up his third win of the season with his six-inning quality start, while Wooten notched his 11th save by fanning two in the ninth. El Paso's Matt Wisler (7-5) took the loss, allowing Nashville two runs on five hits and one walk over six innings. The win keeps Nashville a half-game ahead of Memphis for the division lead with 19 games to go. At 68-57, the Sounds sit a season-best 11 games above .500. The Sounds will look to win the series over El Paso Friday night. Nashville sends RHP Ariel Pena (9-7, 4.28) to the hill opposite the Chihuahuas' RHP Joe Wieland. First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. Nashville Boxscore Sometimes mascots make me shake my head, at least in minor league baseball there aren't really chants to be done like there are with say college sports, so in that respect I get a Chihuahua mascot. However, and I mean no offense to my friends who may read this and own chihuahuas (no I'm seriously not picking on you), nor anyone on this forum who may own said breed of dog, but I don't really associate "Chihuahuas" with Texas in any way, especially based on my hand full of experiences spread around the state. There's nothing over the top manly or rugged about a Chihuahua, then again maybe it's the irony that makes it work... On to the actual game! Matt Clark had spent all of his AAA career in the thin desert air of Tuscon where he put up respectable yet not mind blowing numbers, he OPS'd in the mid to high .800s in Tuscon. Many will remember our old friend Cole Gillespie who was traded to the D-Backs for Lopez back in 2009. If you click the link you will notice that Gillespie put up a pretty average .756 OPS in Nashville before posting similar mid to high .800 OPS through his stay in Reno. In 4 years, 113 games, and 270 plate appearances Cole amassed a measly .624 OPS though his multiple short stints in MLB. I know he never got an extended look and I also know that Clark and Gillespie are much different hitters, but this is simply my word of caution to temper your enthusiasm at the best stretch in Clark's career. He's certainly not someone to arbitrarily write off simply because he's spent so much time in hitter friendly environments, but he's also someone we need to view with a bit of caution before people get carried away claiming 1B WOAH SOVVLD. Nashville Recap Nashville Gameday

MWL notes: Reyes takes different road Peoria righty finding success after charting unique course to the pros

Rattlers get shutout by Clinton LumberKings beat Wisconsin 10-0 By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers http://www.milb.com/assets/images/3/5/8/89705358/cuts/August_14_Angel_Ortega_96s6y6b1_9sbxih3z.jpg Angel Ortega prepares to throw the ball after making a diving catch in the third inning against the Clinton LumberKings on Thursday night. (Ann Mollica/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers) GRAND CHUTE, WI - Three Clinton LumberKing pitchers combined on a six-hit shutout to defeat the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 10-0 on Thursday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Eddie Campbell struck out eight over six innings to get the win. Tyler O'Neill hit a grand slam in the sixth inning for the LumberKings, who took two of the three games played in the series with the Rattlers. Clinton (53-67 overall, 23-29 second half) took the lead in the top of the third inning. O'Neill started the inning with a double. Justin Seager reached on an error that allowed O'Neill to score. Later in the inning, Jeff Zimmerman hit a two-run home run to the beach in right field for a 3-0 Clinton advantage. Wisconsin (65-56, 29-23) put two runners on base in the third, fourth, and fifth innings against Campbell, but could not score. Rattlers reliever Victor Diaz took over for starting pitcher Javier Salas to start the sixth inning and had runners on second and third with two outs. Diaz walked Aaron Barbosa to load the bases. Then, he issued back-to-back walks to Brett Thomas and Marcus Littlewood to force in two runs and Clinton was up 5-0. O'Neill was next and he drilled a 1-0 pitch from Diaz off the scoreboard in left-center for a grand slam and a 9-0 advantage. Clinton added another run in the sixth inning. Zimmerman tripled off the fence in left-center against reliever Harvey Martin. Nelson Ward singled to right to get Zimmerman home for the 10-0 lead. Campbell, Tyler Herb, and Paul Fry combined for 14 strikeouts in the game. Thursday night was the fifth time Wisconsin has been shutout this season. Paul Eshleman accounted for half of Wisconsin's six hits in the game. The Rattlers catcher went 3-for-3 with a double. Clint Coulter had two hits for the Rattlers. Taylor Brennan had a single in the fifth inning. The loss hurt the Timber Rattlers in the race for the second half division lead as Cedar Rapids won 10-3 at Beloit. Wisconsin trails the Kernels by two games with eighteen games left in the season. But, Wisconsin maintained their lead in the second half wild card race at two games over Peoria, who lost 4-2 at Burlington, and at three games over Quad Cities, who lost 4-1 at Kane County. Speaking of Kane County, the Timber Rattlers will start a three game series with the Kane County Cougars, the Midwest League affiliate of the Chicago Cubs and - at 77-45 - the team with the best record in the league this season, on Friday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Barrett Astin (7-6, 5.06) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Jonathan Martinez (8-5, 3.46) is the scheduled starter for Kane County. Game time is 7:05pm. Help mascot Fang T. Rattler celebrate his birthday on Friday night! Dozens of area mascots will be on hand for a pregame kickball game. Participate in "Cans for Cake" by bringing a non-perishable food item to donate to St. Joe's Food Program and you will receive a slice of birthday cake. Friday is also North Shore Bank Family Night and all children 12 and under receive a free hot dog and soda. There will be a postgame fireworks display. Then, kids 14 and under may participate in Kids Run the Bases thanks to Molina Healthcare after the fireworks. Plus, Potawatomi Bingo Casino presents Baseball Bingo, a chance to win prizes by playing a baseball-themed bingo game. If you can't make it out to the ballpark, there are several ways to catch the action. MyNEW 32's Sports Showdown will televise the game starting at 7:00pm. The radio broadcast will be on AM1280, WNAM or IHeartRadio beginning with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:45pm. The game will also be available to subscribers of MiLB.TV. HOME RUNS: CLN: Jeff Zimmerman (6th, 1 on in 4th inning off Javier Salas, 1 out) Tyler O'Neill (11th, grand slam in 6th inning off Victor Diaz, 2 out) WP: Eddie Campbell (9-8) LP: Javier Salas (0-1) TIME: 2:51 ATTN: 4,435 Wisconsin Boxscore Chris covered my original comments in the game story. None of the pitchers were worth discussing in a positive manner, not much else to say about this besides come back and get em tomorrow. Wisconsin Recap Wisconsin Gameday

Wisconsin wins 6-2 over Clinton Coulter drives in three for Timber Rattlers By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers http://www.milb.com/assets/images/6/3/8/89542638/cuts/August_13_Davis_scores_yux1dv69_4cuas5tt.jpg Johnny Davis scores in the third inning of Wednesday's game against the Clinton LumberKings to give the Timber Rattlers a 1-0 lead. (Ann Mollica/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers) GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers got back to their winning ways with a 6-2 win over the Clinton LumberKings Wednesday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Clint Coulter drove in three runs and Preston Gainey picked up his second straight victory for the Rattlers. Wisconsin (65-55 overall, 29-22 second half) took the lead with an unearned run in the bottom of the third inning. Johnny Davis bunted back to the mound with one out and reached when the ball was mishandled. Chris McFarland followed with a hit-and-run single to right to get Davis to third. Michael Ratterree dropped a single into right field to knock in Davis for a 1-0 lead. Joe DeCarlo doubled to lead off the fifth inning for Clinton (52-67, 22-29). Gainey, Wisconsin's starting pitcher, got the next two batters and kept DeCarlo at second base. Then, Gainey jammed Brett Thomas on a 3-2 pitch, but Thomas would reach on an infield single when he beat the throw to first on his slow roller to short. Gainey would get two strikes on Martin Peguero, but the LumberKings second baseman lined a single to left to drive in DeCarlo with the tying run. Davis started the Wisconsin fifth inning with a single and was at second base with two outs. David Denson's grounder to third was misplayed for an error and Davis had to hold on at second. Coulter worked the count full before lining a double into the corner in right. The runners were off on the payoff pitch and both Davis and Denson scored for a 3-1 lead. The first three runs of the game for the Rattlers were scored off Clinton starting pitcher Seon-Gi Kim and all three runs were unearned as the Rattlers made the LumberKings pay for their defensive miscues. Angel Ortega doubled in the bottom of the sixth inning and would eventually cross home plate on an run-scoring fielder's choice by Chris McFarland for a 4-1 advantage. Rattlers starting pitcher Preston Gainey left after five innings. He allowed one run on five hits and struck out eight without walking a batter. Luke Curtis pitched a scoreless sixth, but allowed an RBI double to Peguero in the top of the seventh that cut Wisconsin's lead to 4-2. The double by Peguero also put runners at second and third with one out in the inning, but Curtis got out of the inning with a strikeout and a flyout to center. The Rattlers added a pair of insurance runs without the benefit of a hit in the bottom of the seventh. Clinton reliever Kevin McCoy walked Ratterree and Denson to start the inning. McCoy would uncork a wild pitch with Coulter at the plate that got past catcher Christian Carmichael, who didn't spot the ball right away. Ratterree hit third base at full speed and raced for home to score from second on the wild pitch. Denson, who took third on the wild pitch, would score on a sacrifice fly by Coulter for a 6-2 lead. Curtis worked a 1-2-3 eighth and Chris Razo pitched a scoreless ninth to close out Clinton. Wisconsin maintained their playoff position with their victory on Wednesday night. The Rattlers remained one game behind Cedar Rapids in the Western Division title race and stayed two games in front of Peoria for the Western Division Wild Card. The Kernels beat Beloit 6-1 and Peoria won 10-7 at Burlington. There are nineteen games remaining in the regular season. Game three of the series is Thursday night. Javier Salas (0-0, 2.70) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Eddie Campbell (8-8, 5.13) is set to start for the LumberKings. Game time is 7:05pm. Thursday night is a Thirsty Thursday presented by Arty's Old Fashioned and 95.9 KISS FM with 21-oz Pepsi products, 16-oz Miller products, or Arty's Old Fashioned drinks for just $2. There are a pair of giveaways on Thursday night, too. The weather didn't cooperate back in April so the Brett Lawrie bobblehead has been rescheduled to August 14. The first 500 fans to attend this game will receive a bobblehead of the former Timber Rattlers All-Star second baseman courtesy of Ansay & Associates. The first 1,000 fans to attend this game will receive a poster featuring Timber Rattlers outfielder Michael Ratterree from Dunkin Donuts. This is poster number nine in a series of ten that are being given away this season. If you can't make it out to the ballpark, there are several ways to catch the action. Time Warner Cable SportsChannel will have the television broadcast starting at 7:00pm. The radio broadcast may be heard on AM1280, WNAM or IHeartRadio starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:45pm. Thursday's game is also available to MiLB.TV subscribers. WP: Preston Gainey (5-7) LP: Seon-Gi Kim (1-3) TIME: 3:08 ATTN: 6,405 Wisconsin Boxscore Wisconsin Recap Wisconsin Gameday

Clark Homers Twice As Sounds Rout El Paso, 13-3 First-Place Nashville Matches Season High For Runs Scored Nashville SoundS http://www.milb.com/assets/images/1/3/2/88664132/cuts/Clark_Walkoff0808_mbueib4c_lwulvizr.jpg (Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds) EL PASO, Texas - First baseman Matt Clark belted a pair of home runs to lead the Nashville Sounds to a 13-3 rout over El Paso on Wednesday evening at Southwest University Park. Nashville (67-57), which matched a season high with its 13 runs on the night, retained its half-game division lead over cross-state rival Memphis, which won in Albuquerque. The teams combined for six home runs and 12 extra-base hits on the evening. Shortstop Hector Gomez gave the Sounds a 1-0 lead in the second when he belted his team-leading 14th home run of the year, a one-out solo shot to left off Andrew Cashner (0-1). El Paso answered Gomez's shot with a pair of their own in the home half of the frame to grab a 2-1 advantage. Yeison Asencio and Adam Moore did the damage against Donovan Hand. The home run show continued in the third when Clark slugged a two-out, two-run homer to right to put Nashville back on top, 3-2, and chase Cashner from the contest. The blast was Clark's second in two nights and seventh on the year. Logan Schafer singled in the fourth inning to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, matching the longest effort by a Sounds player this season. The Sounds broke the game open with a six-run outburst in the top of the fifth inning against a pair of El Paso relievers, sending 11 batters to the plate in the frame. Clark got things started as he struck again for the Sounds, swatting a leadoff opposite-field homer down the left field line off Dennis O'Grady to up the Nashville lead to 4-2. The blast was Clark's eighth with the Sounds and 18th overall on the year. His two-homer night is the fifth recorded by a Nashville batter in 2014. Sean Halton (3-for-5) followed Clark's blast with a single to chase O'Grady, and Gomez greeted new reliever Keyvius Sampson with an RBI double into the left field corner to make it a 5-2 contest. After a walk and hit batsman loaded the bases, the right-hander issued a walk to Schafer to force home Gomez. Eugenio Velez then lifted a sacrifice fly to deep center for a 7-2 Nashville lead and Jeremy Hermida capped off the scoring with a two-run double off the left-center wall. Shortstop Tyler Greene hit El Paso's third solo homer of the night to lead off the bottom of the fifth. The infielder's seventh big fly of the year but the Nashville lead to 9-3. Hand (2-7) snapped a five-game losing streak by earning the win for the Sounds. He allowed three runs (all on solo homers) in his five innings of work. The Nashville offense kept going in the sixth, plating four more runs against new El Paso reliever Bobby LaFromboise. Pinch-hitter Irving Falu contributed an RBI single in the frame before Velez drilled a two-run double and Rogers plated a run with a groundout that upped the advantage to 13-3. Dustin Molleken followed Hand with 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief before Jose De La Torre recorded the final four outs to close out the Nashville win. The teams continue the series with another 8:05 p.m. CT matchup on Thursday. Right-hander Michael Blazek (2-4, 3.65) will toe the slab for the Sounds and square off against El Paso right-hander Matt Wisler (7-4, 5.30). Nashville Boxscore Nashville Recap Nashville Gameday

Glasnow makes most of one-pitch night Pittsburgh's top prospect frustrates Jupiter again with 10-K outing

Sounds Lose Road Trip Opener, 8-2 Nashville Sounds http://www.milb.com/assets/images/9/0/4/84286904/cuts/Clark_0711_lyyhbke3_ea3phv6l.jpg (Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds) EL PASO, Texas - The Nashville Sounds opened their road trip on the short end of an 8-2 loss to El Paso on Tuesday evening at Southwest University Park. The defeat snapped the Sounds' four-game winning streak. Nashville (66-57) had its division lead cut to just a half-game over cross-state rival Memphis, which won in Albuquerque. First baseman Matt Clark homered during his 2-for-4 evening, the lone multi-hit effort for Nashville. The Sounds fell behind 3-0 in the first inning. Alex Castellanos led off with a triple off Jay Jackson and later scored the game's first run on a Cody Decker sacrifice fly. Adam Moore made upped the El Paso lead to 3-0 with a two-out, two-run homer to center, the catcher's 10th big fly of the year. Nashville missed an outstanding scoring opportunity in the second after loading the bases with one out against El Paso starter Juan Oramas. The right-hander struck out Jackson and Logan Schafer in succession to escape the jam unscathed. El Paso stretched its lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the second when Rico Noel drew a leadoff walk from Jackson and later scored on a grounder. The Sounds missed another scoring opportunity in the third after placing runners on second and third with no outs against Oramas. Taylor Lindsey (3-for-4) increased the home team's lead to 6-0 in the third when he blasted a two-run homer to right off Jackson, the third sacker's tenth roundtripper of the season. Moore, who preceded Lindsey by drawing a walk, also scored on the blast. Jackson (0-1) drew a loss in his first decision in two starts since joining the Sounds after allowing six runs over three frames of action. Nashville got onto the scoreboard in the fifth when Schafer led off with a double and came home on a Jeremy Hermida sacrifice fly. After El Paso got that run back in the bottom of the fifth, Clark slugged a massive solo homer to right in the top of the sixth to chase Oramas from the contest and make it a 7-2 game. The longball was Clark's sixth of the season. Oramas (6-6) squared his record on the year by earning the win for El Paso after limiting the Sounds to two runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings of work. El Paso closed out the scoring with a run against Alfredo Figaro in the eighth, bringing the score to its final 8-2 standing. The teams continue the series with another 8:05 p.m. CT matchup on Wednesday. Right-hander Donovan Hand (1-7, 5.40) will make the start for the Sounds and face rehabbing San Diego Padres ace Andrew Cashner, who will make his first rehab start for El Paso. Nashville Boxscore Arcenio Leon pitched a scoreless inning so there's that.... 10 hits and just 1 run so predictably the Sounds were awful with runners in scoring position all night. Nashville Recap Nashville Gameday

I would feel better about Franly Mallen if he wasn't hitting .225 on the season with 25 errors. He's definitely going to be a project with that high leg kick trigger and and his defensive issues. The other high profile signing signing from 2013 is holding his own well though. Nicholas Pierre is hitting .325 over his last 10 though somehow he's committed 8 errors in the OF this season. Joantgel Segovia just keeps on keeping on now hitting .376 on the season, I sincerely hope both Pierre and Segovia get the bump stateside for 2015.